It's National Infant Immunization Week - a reminder for parents to get their kids vaccinated. Immunize Nevada is using week to get the word out about what vaccines do and the easiest ways to get them.
"National Infant Immunization Week is a great time to promote those vaccines that are recommended for kids up to age 2," said Heidi Parker, Executive Director of Immunize Nevada. "These are vaccines that prevent about 14 diseases including measles, pertussis, and polio."
Measles is another disease covered by the recommended vaccines.
"Right now we're hearing a lot about measles; it's a hot topic," Parker said. "We have the most cases since 2000, so that's a great example of how important vaccines are. When we start seeing those low-immunized areas, that's when diseases can return and we have not eradicated most diseases yet."
In addition to the free clinics they host, Immunize Nevada helps families keep track of their shot records - and they have a children's vaccine program that provides low or no cost shots for kids all the way up to their 19th birthday. The hope is to be able to reach as many families as possible.
"What we know is there is an increasing number of kids that are unvaccinated," Parker said. "Whether that's because of access to care, access to insurance, where they live, if they're seeing misinformation or they're not getting that credible source they need. Talking to their provider is really the best option in this scenario and we have great health care partners in Nevada."
More Information: https://immunizenevada.org/
